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If current conditions are any indication, area residents can expect lower costs on their heating bills this winter. Going into the month, natural gas was trading at a seven-year low, due to production and the quantity in reserves. Steve Schultz, a spokesman with Alliant Energy, tells KNIA/KRLS News that could translate to as much as a 25 percent reduction in heating costs this winter. Schultz adds that consumers can also avoid peaking bills in the wintertime by enrolling in programs that set a consistent price on natural gas bills for the entire year.